24th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) September 11, 2011 On September 11, something incredible happened.

On September 11th, I woke up early in the morning, had breakfast and made my way to the hospital where I work. Then something happened that changed my life forever. My daughter Kathryn was born! And it wasn't until four years later that September 11 became associated with anything else. Yet every year at this time we have to reassure Katie that her birthday doesn't suckthat we can still hold onto and celebrate the joy and promise of her life. And, in order to do that, we have to consciously let go of the terrorismfree ourselves from the association of fear and anxiety. Even as we remember the pain and suffering that has affected so many people, we cannot stay there. We choose instead to hold onto the promise of new life. Our spiritual life is kind of like that. What we hold onto and what we let go of makes a difference. In the work I do at the cancer centre, I can tell you that I have yet to meet someone on their deathbed who regrets not having accumulated more wealthand yet we hold onto it like it will protect us from death. I can also tell you that I have met plenty of people on their deathbeds who regret not letting go of grudges, not forgiving, and who regret losing relationships over foolish arguments. Unmeasurable forgivenessthe kind that we are challenged to in today's gospelis only possible when we can let go of trying to control the outcome. We can only forgive without counting the cost when we are able to find our value in something even greater... our life in Christ. Holding fast to who we are in Christ allows us to let go
Deacon Jim Panchaud Preaching Notes 1

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) of anything else that is not born of love. The way that we live out our discipleship (what we hold onto and what we let go of... what we bind and loose) reveals what we believe about the Kingdom of God. If we believe, as many do, that the Kingdom of Heaven is the place where we will hopefully find ourselves after we die, then our holding onto or letting go becomes a tally sheetand we hope that our books balance on Judgement Day. However, if we understand, as many mystics have and as Jesus teaches in this parable, that the Kingdom is taking shape around us and is revealed through our discipleship, we are going to live very differently. We're going to seek what is good and right, we're going to forgive and repent more freely because that's how God works. It's part of what God has in mind for us in the Kingdom of Heaven. Heaven takes shape like that: little by little, in our daily choices to be more authentically sons and daughters of God; brothers and sisters to Christ and one another. The Kingdom of Heaven is not just something that will happen. It is happening. And we're part of it. Right here at Christ the King University Parish. When we show mercy and forgiveness because we have known God's mercy and forgiveness ourselves, the Kingdom is happening. When we let go of the need to control or manipulate, the Kingdom of Heaven is happening. Like Catherine of Sienna says: Its heaven all the way to heaven. So, as we look at our lives in the light of these Gospel parables that we've heard over the past several weeks, we ask ourselves: How

Deacon Jim Panchaud

Preaching Notes

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) much closer are we to heaven? In our prayer today, and in your private prayer, take some time to consider how the kingdom of heaven is taking shape around you and because of your discipleship. We might begin by taking the time to give thanks for the many blessings in our livesa safe home, shelter, food on the table, the ability to go to school, the ability to help someone who needs us. Then we might consider the ways we can be free of the tendencies that hold us backthat delay the fulfillment of the Kingdom: things like impatience, fear, materialism, individualism, judging, condemning, harshness, despair. As we let these things goas we forgive, unbind, reconcile, and healwe will discover the real fruits of discipleship. And, with this in mind we can pray, with the Holy Spirit to guide us, for the grace and knowledge to take one step more... today... in our families, in our communities, at work... one step closer to the fulfillment of what God has in mind for us: The Kingdom of Heaven.

Deacon Jim Panchaud

Preaching Notes